Bryan Kelly facts for kids
Bryan George Kelly (born January 3, 1934) is a talented English musician. He is a composer, conductor, and pianist from Oxford, England. He has created many different kinds of music.
Bryan Kelly's Early Life and Learning
Bryan started his musical journey as a choir boy at Worcester College in Oxford. He also went to Southfield Grammar School. He learned a lot from Harold Spicer, a skilled organist and choirmaster.
Studying Music at Top Schools
Bryan continued his studies at the famous Royal College of Music. There, he learned from important composers like Gordon Jacob and Herbert Howells. Later, he traveled to Paris to study with Nadia Boulanger, a very famous music teacher.
Teaching Around the World
After his studies, Bryan Kelly became a teacher himself. He taught at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music. From 1963, he also taught at the Royal College of Music. He even spent time teaching in countries like America, Italy, France, and Egypt.
Bryan Kelly's Musical Creations
Bryan Kelly has written many different types of music. His works range from fun, light orchestral pieces to more serious and longer orchestral works. He also composed music for brass bands and for churches.
Orchestral and Band Music
Some of his lighter orchestral pieces include the Cuban Suite and the New Orleans Suite. He also wrote Divertissement. The Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra asked him to write two pieces: the overture Sancho Panza (in 1969) and the Sinfonia Concertante (in 1967). For brass bands, he created Brass Bagatelles and the overture Provence.
Church and Choral Music
Bryan Kelly has written many pieces for choirs and churches. His Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in C from 1965 use exciting Latin American rhythms. At the round earth’s imagin’d corners (1977) is a piece for choir, solo singers, and string instruments. It uses old religious texts and was written for the Sheffield Bach Choir.
A longer choral work is St. Francis of Assisi (1981). Bryan worked with the poet John Fuller on this piece. For Adoration (2001) is a collection of five short songs for choirs.
Music for Instruments and Learning
Bryan Kelly also writes music for solo instruments and educational pieces. The Whodunnit Suite for trumpet and piano is a fun example. Its parts have names like 'Poirot (Detective)' and 'The Chief Suspect'. In 1961, he wrote a piano piece called Tango for the pianist Peter Katin.
Recordings of Bryan Kelly's Music
You can find Bryan Kelly's music on several recordings. Two CDs of his orchestral music have been released by Heritage.
Orchestral Music Collections
- Volume One (released in 2014): This CD includes pieces like Left Bank Suite and Concertante Dances. It also features A Christmas Celebration and Nativity Scenes.
- Volume Two (released in 2021): This CD has works such as Fantasy Overture: San Francisco and Concerto for Two Trumpets. It also includes A Christmas Dance.
The Improvisations on Christmas Carols (1969) was recorded by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. You can also find a recording of his Symphony No 1 (1983) online. It was performed by the City of Oxford Orchestra.
Choral Music Recordings
The choir of Clare College, Cambridge released a CD of his choral music in 2001. This CD includes the cantata Crucifixion and the popular carol This Lovely Lady. The Chapel Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge also has a CD of his choral works. This recording features St Francis of Assisi and For Adoration. The Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in C has been recorded by the choir of St John's College Cambridge.
